Brassiere



y 23, 1967 M. c. FRIDOLPH 3,320,959

BRAS S IERE Filed Feb. 17, 1965 INVENTOR MAUDE CONSTANCE FRIDOLPHWIIMLJW)* M A7 TORNE VS United States Patent 3,320,959 BRASSIERE MaudeConstance Fridolph, 269 Crescent Bay Drive, Laguna Beach, Calif. 92651Filed Feb. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 433,369 9 Claims. (Cl. 128-451) Thisinvention relates to brassieres and particularly to brassieres that areintended for use with outer garments having a low back.

In my prior Patents Nos. 2,638,596, issued May 19, 1953, and 3,157,182,issued Nov. 17, 1964, there are disclosed and claimed brassieres whereinthe back of the wearer is exposed and, at the same time, proper bustsupport is provided without any tendency to ride up the back or bindbeneath the bustline at the front of the wearer. In these constructionsrelatively wide bands are provided that extend from the outer edges ofthe cup portions downwardly and outwardly across the rib cage when thegarment is on the wearer, with the free edges of the bands connected atthe small of the back.

The present invention is directed to an improved brassiere of this typewherein a free back and proper support are provided :by an improvedconstruction which is simple and economical.

Basically, in accordance with the invention, wide bands are providedwhich extend outwardly from the cup portions and have their ends cut onthe bias. The shoulder straps have ends which are attached to ends ofthe wide bands along their side edges and provide free edges which inturn are connected together at the small of the back of the wearer.These ends of the shoulder straps are preferably elastic longitudinallyso that when they are connected together they tend to pull the widebands downwardly toward the back of the wearer and any tendency for thegarment to creep upwardly in the back is opposed by yielding action ofthe lower ends of the shoulder straps at the back.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view of the brassiere embodying the invention in open flatcondition.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the brassiere on the wearer.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the brassiere on the wearer.

Referring to the drawings, the brassiere embodying the inventioncomprises a band including front sections 11 and side bands 12 extendingoutwardly from the side edges of the front sections 11. Sections 11 andside bands 12 are preferably longitudinally elastic as indicated by thearrows. Each of the front sections 11 includes a cup portion 13 whichmay be made of inelastic material. The front sections 11 are connectedto one another along a gore 14. The cup portions 13 can be made of oneor more pieces in accordance with conventional designs.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lower edge of each side band 12 extends andcurves downwardly and the outer end 15 of each side band tapers alongthe bias to a point 16. The lower edges of the bands 12 thus define agenerally obtuse angle when the brassiere is in the open flat conditionas shown in FIG. 1; and when on the wearer the lower edges of the sidebands 12 cross the rib cage at an angle, see FIG. 2.

A shoulder strap 17 has one end 18 thereof connected to the top of eachcup portion 13 and comprises an inelastic part 19 and an elastic part20. As shown in FIG. 1, the elastic part 20 diverges downwardly andterminates in a free edge 21. The elastic part 20 is connected to theend 15 of band 12 along a side edge 22. As shown in FIG. 1, the ends 15of side bands 12 are generally concave inwardly toward the cup portions13, and the edges 22 of strap 17 are complementary thereto. Each elasticpart 20 further includes an upper outer edge 23 that is gen- 3,320,959Patented May 23, 1967 erally concave inwardly. Further, each elasticpart 20 is preferably elastic in a direction extending longitudinally ofthe .part 20, as shown by the arrows. As further shown in FIG. 1, thewidth W of the free edge 21 of each strap is slightly less than thewidth W of each side band 12.

When the brassiere is on the wearer, the elastic band 10 encircles theportion of the wearers body that has a circumference less than thecircumference of the body at a horizontal section at or above theshoulder blades just below the bust line to provide support of the bustWithout riding up the back or binding beneath the bust line of thewearer. The free ends 21 of straps 17 are fastened together by hooks orother suitable means and tend to pull the bands 12 downwardly across therib cage. Any tendency of the bands to move upwardly in the back isopposed by the rib cage. The yielding movement of the wide parts 20 ofeach strap 17 tends to eliminate any tendency for the bands 12 to moveupwardly and produce puckers or gaping along the upper edges thereof sothat the bands 12 lie smooth and flat against the body of the wearer.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lower parts 20 of the straps 17 assume aposition along the outer sides of the back so that the back of the'wearer is completely exposed.

It will thus be seen that my shoulder strap 17, instead of being anordinary plain shoulder strap, actually becomes a part of the back ofthe brassiere; in other words, it becomes an extended fashioned shoulderstrap. The fashioned edges 23, when the brassiere is hooked into place,follow the curved shape of the outer sides of the back, the longitudinallines of stretch of the side bands 12 and the extended fashionedshoulder strap give a sort of two-way stretch at the point where thesetwo portions blend together; this results in a downward or a biasstretch to the wide portion of the shoulder strap, which in turn formsthe back edges of the brassiere and helps to hold the back lower downWhat I claim is:

1. A brassiere comprising a ftront section including a pair of spacedapart cup porlOl'lS,

side bands connected to the outer edge of each cup portion at least atthe lower edge thereof, and terminating in bias cut portions,

the bottom edge of each band extending downwardly and outwardly when ingenerally fiat condition and extending downwardly across the rib cage atan angle when on the wearer,

straps each having one end connected to each cup portion adjacent thetop and adapted to extend over the shoulder of the wearer,

the other end portion of each strap diverging downwardly and outwardlyand merging with the outer end of each side band and secured thereto,said strap and side band together forming the outer free ends of thebrassiere,

the free ends of said straps being considerably below the bottom of cupportions when in the flat condition and being connected together at thesmall of the back when on the wearer.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein each said strap has saidother end thereof made of longitudinally elastic material.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein each said side band iselastic in a direction parallel to the lower edge thereof.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the lower end of eachcombined band and strap gradually diverges to the free edge thereof toform a bias fitting brassiere back when fastened.

5. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein the upper edge of eachsaid strap gradually curves to the free edge thereof to form a biasfitting brassiere back when fastened.

6. A brassiere comprising a front section including a pair of spacedapart cup portions,

side bands connected to the outer edge of each cup portion,

the bottom edge of each side band extending downwardly and outwardlywhen in the generally flat condition and extending downwardly across therib cage at an angle when on the wearer,

the top edge of each side band being substantially parallel to thebottom edge,

straps each having one end connected to each cup portion adjacent thetop and having the other end diverging downwardly and outwardly andmerging with and secured to the end of a side band, said strap and sideband forming a free end of the brass1ere,

the upper edge of each strap curving downwardly and outwardly when inthe flat condition and terminating at the free ends of the brassiere,

said free ends of said merged bands and straps being connected togetherat the small of the back when on the wearer.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein the upper edge of eachsaid strap starts its curve a considerable distance above the free endsof the brassiere.

8. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein said other end of eachsaid strap is longitudinally elastic generally along the length of thestrap.

9. The combination set forth in claim 7 wherein the merging portions ofsaid bands and straps are longitudinally elastic.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,093,137 6/1963Dugan 128-498 3,120,848 2/1964 Seperack 1285l0 3,144,869 8/1964 Blair128498 3,157,182 11/1964 Fridolph 128-429 ADELE M. EAGER, PrimaryExaminer.

1. A BRASSIERE COMPRISING A FRONT SECTION INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACEDAPART CUP PORTIONS, SIDE BANDS CONNECTED TO THE OUTER EDGE OF EACH CUPPORTION AT LEAST AT THE LOWER EDGE THEREOF, AND TERMINATING IN BIAS CUTPORTIONS, THE BOTTOM EDGE OF EACH BAND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY ANDOUTWARDLY WHEN IN GENERALLY FLAT CONDITION AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLYACROSS THE RIB CAGE AT AN ANGLE WHEN ON THE WEARER, STRAPS EACH HAVINGONE END CONNECTED TO EACH CUP PORTION ADJACENT THE TOP AND ADAPTED TOEXTEND OVER THE SHOULDER OF THE WEARER, THE OTHER END PORTION OF EACHSTRAP DIVERGING DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY AND MERGING WITH THE OUTER ENDOF EACH SIDE BAND AND SECURED THERETO, SAID STRAP AND SIDE BAND TOGETHERFORMING THE OUTER FREE ENDS OF THE BRASSIERE, THE FREE ENDS OF SAIDSTRAPS BEING CONSIDERABLY BELOW THE BOTTOM OF CUP PORTIONS WHEN IN THEFLAT CONDITION AND BEING CONNECTED TOGETHER AT THE SMALL OF THE BACKWHEN ON THE WEARER.